I hesitated writing this How To. Compared with the olden days of installing and configuring video cards and giant CRT displays, the process of adding a secondary monitor to any modern computer is practically plug-and-play.

But when I sat down to write a tutorial on this that included both Mac and PC, I realized there's still a surprising amount of variables to the process, and plenty of details that I hadn't considered before.

I went into this a little cocky, but it turns out I had plenty to learn.

More importantly, I put this together because you are still searching for it. We have an antique 2005 tutorial on this that involves Windows XP, third-party video cards, and a pair of CRTs, and it still gets an absurd amount of clicks. As a public service, I wrote this as a replacement.

As someone who uses a dual-display setup myself, I feel comfortable in the role of the dual-screen evangelist. Working with two screens really has improved my ability to multitask and minimized the amount of windows I have to juggle day to day. If this piece can help demystify a basic procedure and make your life a little easier, then I've done my job.

So, enjoy the video, and then dive into the step-by-step galleries for Windows or Mac.

About the author

Donald Bell has spent more than five years as a CNET senior editor, reviewing everything from MP3 players to the first three generations of the Apple iPad. He currently devotes his time to producing How To content for CNET, as well as weekly episodes of CNET's Top 5 video series.
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